Saturday delivered the first significant day of the spring carnival, headlined by the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield, while a number of emerging three-year-olds announced themselves as horses to follow over the coming months.
Steel Will makes it two from two
At Rosehill, Steel Will continued his unbeaten start to his three-year-old season with a tough victory over 1300m — the same race won by Autumn Glow and Ninja in the past two years.
Trainer Chris Waller has Group 1 ambitions for the exciting colt, hoping he can eventually reach the heights of his star half-sister September Run.
Steel Will could next head to the Group 2 Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill on September 12, or travel south for the Listed Poseidon Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on the same day.
Hard Kick toughs it out in the Vain
The first feature at Caulfield was the Group 3 Vain Stakes, and having a run under his belt proved crucial for Hard Kick.
Damian Lane sent him straight to the front and judged the tempo beautifully. The talented but inexperienced Organised Crime came after him late, but Hard Kick kept finding to score a tough victory.
The Hayes boys have a big opinion of the Lindsay Park-trained and owned colt and believe he can make his mark this spring. The McNeil Stakes at Caulfield in two weeks is his likely next assignment, with a return to the Flemington straight also firmly on the table despite his previous disappointment there.
Natural Fling announces herself
The Quezette Stakes produced one of the most impressive performances of the day as Natural Fling gave punters who took the short price a very easy watch.
Slightly slow away, Damian Lane had to use her early to find a position. After settling through the middle stages, she showed the acceleration of a very good horse, quickly putting the race away in the straight.
The Coolmore Stud Stakes down the Flemington straight remains the long-term target, but trainer Calvin McEvoy said they could also consider taking on the older weight-for-age sprinters in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m), where she would carry a featherweight.
Chilly Girl puts her hand up for the Golden Rose
The Listed Rosebud at Rosehill has a history of producing quality horses, and Chilly Girl put herself firmly into the spring picture with an impressive win.
Blue Door was all the rage with punters and looked set to deliver for much of the race, but approaching the 200m Chilly Girl quickened beautifully under Tim Clark and swept past for a comprehensive victory.
An impressive two-year-old before injury interrupted her career, Chilly Girl now looks primed for a serious assault on the Group 1 Golden Rose in late September.
Cosmic Crusader delivers in the Lawrence
The feature of the day was the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes, where dominant favourite Cosmic Crusader showed exactly why the market had so much confidence in him.
He stalked some of the country's better weight-for-age horses before putting them to the sword when it mattered, stamping himself as a genuine eastern states Group 1 contender.
Prolific WA owner Bob Peters was at Caulfield for the victory and confirmed Cosmic Crusader's next assignment will be his biggest test yet — the Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield in two weeks.
He is currently a $9 fixed-odds chance for the Memsie, where he could potentially take on superstar Sheza Alibi.
Spring stars step out at Caulfield Heath
There was also plenty happening before the races, with Yellow Jersey shading champion Mr Brightside in a star-studded 1000m trial at Caulfield Heath.
Mr Brightside led the six-horse field and gave a nice kick late, while the heat also featured Giga Kick and Tom Kitten.
For Cox Plate hopeful Yellow Jersey, it was another encouraging step towards what shapes as a fascinating spring campaign.
Editorial at The Daily Punt, covering Australian racing and sport with an eye for where the value sits.
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